UNCTAD Accelerates Energy Transition in Ports with New Training Programme

UNCTAD is equipping port professionals with practical tools for cleaner and more efficient port operations through a newly launched training initiative, as the maritime industry faces mounting pressure to adapt to the global energy transition.

Ports are confronting shifting dynamics as cleaner shipping technologies, alternative fuels, and evolving regulatory frameworks reshape maritime trade. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, while the European Union began including maritime CO₂ emissions under its Emissions Trading System (ETS) in January 2024. These measures are intensifying scrutiny on ports to provide enabling infrastructure such as onshore power supply, alternative fuel bunkering, and electrified cargo-handling equipment. The maritime sector accounts for approximately 2% of global energy consumption, with nearly all ship fuel still derived from fossil sources. While port operations themselves generate a smaller share of emissions, they play a pivotal role in enabling cleaner shipping across the supply chain.

For UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the energy transition extends beyond environmental imperatives. The organization emphasizes that it also delivers economic, health, and social benefits — positioning ports for a more competitive and sustainable future while reinforcing their function as engines of global trade.

Training Future-Ready Port Communities

UNCTAD's TrainForTrade programme has introduced a new online course on Energy Transition in Ports (ETP). The curriculum covers methodologies, technologies, case studies, and best practices designed to help port communities develop lower-emission operations.

The first edition of the ETP course, conducted in Spanish between April and June 2026, brought together 544 participants from 31 countries, with women comprising 47% of the cohort.

"This training shows that sustainability should not be seen only as an environmental obligation, but as a core element of planning, governance and decision-making in ports," said Sandra Asanza, a course participant from Ecuador.

Asanza noted that the course guided participants through practical steps, ranging from emissions measurement to identifying energy-efficiency opportunities and improving coordination across port communities.

From Training to Action

UNCTAD will build on the course with a workshop scheduled in Argentina in October 2026, where selected participants will present concrete solutions and share best practices for advancing the energy transition at their respective ports.

The initiative is part of TrainForTrade's longstanding Port Management Programme, which has trained more than 13,500 port professionals across 183 countries and territories since 1996. The programme supports port communities in improving operational efficiency, boosting trade flows, enhancing resilience, and advancing sustainable development.

Source: UNCTAD